Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Two of my favorite things to do are crafting and cooking, so why not combine the two together?!? I made some yummy chicken stock in my crockpot, then used the Eyelet Outlet Washi tape as labels. I then used the same washi tape for the cute little card when I give some of the chicken stock away to friends and family.

Here is a video tutorial on how to made the labels for the containers, how to make the cards, and the chicken stock recipe!!

Both of these items, the container of homemade chicken broth and the card, could be given as a gift to someone for when they are sick, need a pick me up, or just to let them know you are thinking about them. So if you are giving a gift you have to have a card to go with it!!

Spring Bubble Brads, Confetti Washi, Bunny Washi, Geometric Washi

Without further ado here is my chicken stock recipe:

Crockpot Chicken Stock

Makes about 16 cups (6 quart crockpot)

Step 1 - Cook your chicken

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

1 onion rough chopped or a handful of green onions (I used green onions from my garden)1 whole head of garlic smashed

2- 3 Fresh Rosemary stems

2-3 Fresh Thyme Stems

1 lime - cut in half (or lemon)

Salt and pepper chicken

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker: Place onion, garlic, and lime in the bottom of the pot. Add chicken breast up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add fresh herbs on top.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Enjoy your yummy chicken for dinner!!!

Step 2 - Make the Stock

Ingredients

Bones from the chicken you just cooked

Veggies, Herbs, and lime from above

Carrots

Celery

Peppers

Eggplant

Squash

Greens

Other herbs (sage, parsley, etc)

Any other veggie you have

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker: Place all the bones, skin, small bits of chicken, tendons, neck, etc all in the pot. Roughly chop the vegetables and herbs and scatter them around the chicken.

Cover with water: Add enough water to cover the chicken bones.

Cook for at least 8 hours: Set the slow cooker to "low" and cook for at least 8 hours or just overnight. When you wake in the morning just turn it off to cool.

Strain the stock: Set a strainer over a large bow l and pour entire stock through the strainer into the bowl.

Store the stock: Divide the stock between several containers and label with washi tape. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate
for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Monday, March 28, 2016

I love to get my hands dirty and just play with the mediums I have on hand. My inspiration came when we finished our bottle of maple syrup and thought I could alter that, it had such a nice flat front perfect to layer things onto it!! I have had it sitting on my desk for the past 2 months waiting for the perfect spark to take me to the next step with it. I then got my batch of Creative Embellishment chippies and in it were some steampunk wings - perfect!! The last piece fell into place when I got the Tattered Angels Cruising Calendar kit of Glimmer Mists, I know had the perfect colors to go with my idea. Now to make it!!

Here is the complete process video from empty bottle with the labels peeled off to completing.

Below are the amazing supplies I used to create the colors and some of the little bits and bobs that helped bring this piece to life.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

I just got my most recent shipment from Die-Namites Dies!! I love their dies and I have been working with the company fro the past year. Unfortunately, it is time for me to move on and to wish the company a fond farewell. I will always continue to use the dies and to love this company!!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

My kids have tons of Easter egg hunts to go to. From pre-school, neighborhood, soccer, moms groups, our house, grandparents, and many many more I feel like I am having to fill at least 100 eggs each Easter for these egg hunts. Now do not get me wrong, i love to do to them, but there is a bit of overkill on the candy that come into my house. So as my way to solve the problem I am filling my eggs with stickers, but not just any stickers, sticker left in my scrapbook stash!!!

Watch this little video tutorial to learn all about it!!

Filling Easter Eggs with scrapbook stickers from your stash other than candy fills many purposes:

1) It will not melt if it is hot - on Texas it is HOT at Easter.

2) Ants will not get into the candy filled eggs and make it gross!!

3) My kids do not need that much sugar. If they get eggs filled with toys, erasers, stickers, rings, etc then the better for me. None of use need that much candy!!!

4) Parents with kids who have food allergies will be super happy. Finally they do not need to swap the candy for something else, you have already given them something their kids can have!!!

5) You got to finally use your stickers from your sticker stash!!!

6) You saved money by using somehting your already had instead of buying extra "stuff".

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

I made some super cute and easy little Easter or Spring treat gift
bags to pass out the friends, neighbors, teachers, or the community. These are super quick and easy to assemble and a great way to tell those around you thanks for being apart of our lives!!!

Monday, March 21, 2016

I have been wanting to create spring wreath for some time, and I have finally gotten around to doing it and it came out so cute!! I got this amazing box of goodies from Bella Blvd and Canvas Corp Brands to show how well they would work together, and how to create something a little different with traditional scrapbook supplies, so it wreath it is!!

Here is an in depth video tutorial on how I made this super cute wreath.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

I got to go and help out in the Canvas Corp Brands Booth at the 2016 NAMTA (Art World) Convention. CCB teamed up with Ken Oliver in one booth, so I got to play with his products too!! It was an amazing experience to see and to meet some wonderful people. I was so lucky that Christine from CCB invited me to come, and I am super grateful that is asked me!! While I was at the show I walked the floors and got to talk to some amazing companies from Golden, Pan Pasels, Copic, Sharpie, Faber-Castell, Sakura, The Crafters Workshop, DecoArt, Spectrum Noir, Ironlak, various brush companies, and many many more!!

Here is a video of all the goodies I got to being home. I only got to stay for 2 days of the conference and not even the last day when most of the goodies are being passed out...boo, but I am still super grateful for all that i got to see and do in my 2 days!!

Friday, March 18, 2016

I got to guest for C'est Magnifique Kits for March. Here is a couple of simple and easy, super quick to make for those days you need a
card quick cards! We all need some cards in our stash or that special moment, so here are a couple of easy ones for you!

I just layered some of the PL cut papers on top of layers of
cream cardstock and patterned paper, misted it a bit with the mist in
the kit, added in a misted and inked chipboard title, and a few little
pearls. That is it!!

I used the March C'est Magnifique March Kit to create these amazing cards, but I could easily make 30 more form this kit!!

Thursday, March 17, 2016

The
7 year anniversary of my daughter Kristen's death was coming up and my son asked to see pictures of his little sister. She passed away very
unexpectedly of SIDS when she was 4 months old and it forever changed who I am. You never get over a loss of a child, but you work though it. My way of working through the pain is my creative outlet, it was the reason I really started to scrapbook and delve deep into the art and craft world.

The picture is of my husband and I at the funeral home the day before the funeral. We chose to have her body embalmed, but just for us to view. We felt it would be odd for our friends and family to see a dead baby, and I still feel a bit weird letting people see the pictures of here like this, I would rather everyone see her alive and happy. When we went to view her that day a friend came with the program Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep to take pictures of our last moments with our daughter. I have not looked at these pictures since the day of the funeral when she gave them to me. They went on a shelf and I really just have not had the strength to see them again and bring up all the memories of that painful day. Time has gone by, and my son who is now 10 (he was 3 when she passed) is still asking tons of questions about what happened to her and asked to see the pictures. There was a lot of crying on both of our parts while viewing the pictures, and I decided it was time to do something with them.

My emotions are fully obvious in the picture and tried to convey that feeling of pain, anguish, love, frustration, hurt, numbness, and just anger into my layout. I used a ton of paper tearing, layers of gesso, other mediums, stencils, splatters, misting, and really just getting mad at my layout beating it all to hell as a poured my heart into the piece.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

I love playing with my mixed media and creating something fun. This time I thought why not make a bookmark to place in my art journal! I used the March C'est Magnifique kit to create this cute and funky 2 sided bookmark!

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

I was asked to guest design for C'est Magnifique for an extra month, their last month of making new kits...boo. So with this last month they made a huge kit that is stuffed to the gills with so many wonderful papers, embellishments, inks, paints, and more!! Check out below for the full unboxing video of all the yummy supplies!!

Come back everyday this week to see all the fun things i made with this kit!!

Monday, March 14, 2016

We’re super excited this week to play with our friends over at Stampendous. With two amazing teams joining in the fun you will want to check in every day of the hop. There will be some fabulous projects, and we’re going to be showing them off all week long.

The super talented team from Stampendous will be showing off their projects this week too so be sure to check out their blog too!

I have a special prize (yummy goodies from my stash from any DT I have been on) to 2 lucky people who comment on this post and follow my blog!! You get an extra chance (so your name in 2 times) if you follow my YouTube Channel. Please let me know you have followed my blog and YouTube channel in your post!!

That is it, super easy!!

You have
until midnight March 21st, 2016 CST to leave a comment and follow my
blog. This prize is open to anyone from any country. Come back on March 24th to see the winners!!
If you already follow my YouTube or Blog just mention that in your
comment on this post.

Good Luck!!

Deflecto Hop InfoThanks for stopping by and enjoy the hop!!

You’ll want to get your commenting fingers ready! Each comment on a post this week will enter you to win a fabulous prize package! (one comment per post, per person) Contest open to USA residents only.
We have three prizes, and each will have a 3 Tiered Cake Stand from Deflecto.

Stampendous is also giving away a great prize over on their blog so be sure to hop over and leave a comment there too.

Now click on the links below and get to hoppin'! Remember to comment on each blog and then return to the Deflecto Blog and leave a comment there for your chance to win

Alexa

FTC Notice:

I am blessed to work in an industry I love. As a project designer and instructor I am often given products to work with. Some of the products I work with have been given to me by companies I design for or sold to me at a discounted rate. While this in no way controls my content (I only use and blog what I love) the government says I have to tell you that I might have gotten some things for free.

About Me

I am a mother of 4 children (2 boys and 2 girls). I have been scrapping since 2007, mostly to scrap my oldest child's baby book and it took off from there. I love to create and to find new ideas.
erinkreed@gmail.com